Meet Sally Tiongco of Six Taste in Los Angeles

Sally, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. I attended UCLA and moved to Downtown LA with my husband. LA is my home and where my heart lives. Therefore, Six Taste Food Tours was a perfect career to express my love for Los Angeles. As a former public middle school educator in Los Angeles for 7 years, I transitioned out of the classroom when I started a family. Now, this is my way of teaching. Not only do I get to share my knowledge of Los Angeles and the food scene, I get to work closely with other wonderful small business owners to celebrate the diverse cuisine and culture in our great city. My husband and I are also huge foodies, which is a requirement in the food tourism industry! We made a pact to always try a new restaurant for date night with no repeats. That pact still stands after 13 years. Finally, I come from a Vietnamese fishing family where we spent our summers catching fresh fish and grilling them at home for dinner. My childhood diet consisted of fresh seafood and organic herbs from the garden. Lucky me. Therefore, with a background in education and passion for food and Los Angeles, I have been able to operate and sustain a successful business that gives me the flexibility to do what I truly love—teach, communicate and build relationships, dine at local restaurants, and raise my 2-year old son and 4-year old daughter at home as a full-time mother.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest obstacle is lack of time and sleep. Raising two young children at home while building a successful business and brand requires an incredible amount of time management. From diapers, preparing meals, feeding my children, handling bath, nap, and bedtimes, and implementing educational activities for my children, I definitely work extra shifts and “overtime” as a business owner. I have a strong commitment to teach my children their Vietnamese language and culture, which explains why I choose to wait on childcare until my children enter school. This decision as a parent definitely makes it particularly challenging as a career woman running a business. Thank goodness for my genes—my mother works two jobs from 6 AM-8 PM every day except Sundays. The hard work ethic I learned from my immigrant parents allows me to still have the energy to multi-task and get through my days with a smile.

Six Taste – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Six Taste is a family-owned food tour company in Los Angeles. Our mission is to support local businesses and enrich the L.A. community through food and education. Six Taste tour guides lead historical and cultural walking food tours through different neighborhoods of Los Angeles, particularly Downtown LA, Arts District, Santa Monica, Sawtelle Japantown, Little Tokyo, Thai Town, Koreatown, and Hollywood that feature generous samples of diverse dishes from 4-7 restaurants. We are proudly recognized as LA’s largest and highest rated food Tour Company, offering 9 different neighborhoods with over 850 guest reviews and an overall 5-star rating on Yelp and TripAdvisor. Unlike other companies, we are LA-based and family-owned with a deep connection to the local community. As an LA native, UCLA alumna, former LA public school educator who resides in Downtown LA and the San Fernando Valley, I operate a company that genuinely represents my love for LA as our home. My husband continues to work as an educator in Los Angeles, and my children will be attending the Los Angeles public schools. With this reputation, Six Taste caters to over 85% locals and LA natives who support our brand and mission.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
1.) Reaching over 500 reviews on Yelp with an overall 5-star rating and

2.) Arranging and executing a tour for 500 guests for the largest AirBnB festival ever.

Pricing:

• $65-$70 per ticket for our public tours, which includes a personally guided 3-4 hour walking food tour with tastings from 6-7 different restaurants
• $45-$250 per ticket for our private group tours, which includes customized itineraries to fit each client’s budget, group size, and preferences

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sixtaste.com
• Phone: 213.798.4749
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixtaste/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SixTaste/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sixtaste
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/six-taste-los-angeles
• Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d1569381-Reviews-Six_Taste-Los_Angeles_California.html